The Road To Cahuita

Riding the Tika Bus again we could tell within a few miles that we had left Nicaragua and were now in Costa Rica. The shanties alongside the Pan American Highway looked a little less shabby and the rusted corrugated structures used as shelters were not in evidence. The cars looked a little newer and, it took a while to notice what was lacking, there were no horses or cattle pulling carts or families walking beside the road. Overall, within just a few miles of the border, Costa Rica felt more prosperous.

The feeling of Costa Rica having more continued into the next day as we set off early in the morning from the capital city of San Jose to the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. We wound our way on a two-lane road through hills and low mountains driving through rain forests; the damp mists and clouds clung to the vehicle and traffic turned on their lights and slowed to a crawl to navigate through dense, cool fog. Alongside the road were giant ferns, plants with huge leaves at least eighteen inches across and, in some places, the trees from either side of the road touched overhead and formed a living tunnel. Occasionally we could see the valleys far below filled with hazy clouds and there were brilliant greens in every imaginable shade wherever one looked. For a while we followed a truck carrying mangoes and tomatoes and then other trucks filled with pineapples and bananas. We glimpsed numerous rivers and streams as we passed, some with round, water-smoothed rocks scattered about the riverbeds and the trees lining the banks were flowering with exotic blossoms of purple, reds, yellows and oranges. Everywhere the earth was populated by some thriving, living plant and the impression of abundance and fertility seemed to envelope us.

We arrived at our destination, Cahuita, about noon and were met by our American hosts, Edward and Julie, who led us down a dirt road about two hundred yards to the little casita on their gated property. We were compelled to walk slowly as we were valiantly dragging our hard-shell, 24-inch suitcases with state-of-the-art spinner wheels through ruts and over pebbles along-side us; yet, again, another reminder of how inappropriate our luggage is for the out-of-the-way places in which we keep finding ourselves!So, anyway, on to another piece of heaven, El Jardin Glorioso – the glorious garden. The grounds are a natural, park-like setting populated by royal palms reaching forty feet towards the sky, fan palms, triangle palms, lipstick palms and a profusion of numerous extraordinary and colorful plants, flowers and trees. This includes our new favorite, the ylang-ylang tree, which grows the most amazing flower with an intoxicating fragrance (rumored to be one of the ingredients for Chanel No. 5).

We took advantage of the property’s crown jewel, a natural coral pool that one climbed down into carefully, avoiding the sharp walls to swim in tranquil privacy; watching the waves form and crash through the pool’s opening, the sea water flowing into the enclosure and ebbing out.

And so we found ourselves spending over a week Cahuita, waking to a chorus of birds early each morning (and not a rooster crow to be heard!) and finishing our day sitting out on our porch enjoying the night sounds or at the nearby coral beach watching both the night sky and the waves.

Next post – There’s much, much more to the Cahuita area including the Cahuita National Park and The Jaguar Sanctuary.

Anita, I have never had the pleasure of Costa Rico, but it looks like you’ve found a beautiful spot for me to tuck away for the future. I have the same dilemma with my suitcase, I love my wheely , but it’s getting harder and harder for those remote destinations and my shoulder can’t take the alternative for very long. Let me know if you figure out a solution!

We definitely have a love-hate relationship with our E-bags hardshell suitcases! After almost two years of hard travel they are still in great shape but, like we said, spinner wheelies just aren’t really practical for the out-of-the-way places we seem to be drawn to! We’re researching suitcase options right now and plan on replacing them in August when we go back to the US for a visit. We’ll both downsize to carry-on 22″ luggage with a backpack and one really cool alternative might be the Tortuga backback at http://www.tortugabackpacks.com/ . Might not work with your shoulder but…

If civilized means a tranquil and relaxed visit in a gorgeous setting celebrating all of nature’s beauty then we’re all for it! This was a place where we felt removed from so many of civilization’s distractions and worries…

Costa Rica is amazing and deserves all the good press it gets. There’s something for everyone from high-end luxury retreats to off-the beaten path places like Cahuita where we experienced a sense of discovery with every new place we visited.

Ah yes, Cahuita – just one of the many diverse gems scattered about “The Jewel of the Americas”. I spent 20+ years of my life skipping to and fro Costa Rica (as in international tour operator specializing in travel to Belize and Costa Rica – starting back in the 80’s when few had even HEARD of Belize, and there was a not-so-little civil war going on in Nicaragua).

Nice to “meet” you here – just read your “About” page and dropped you into my RSS Feedly Reader (btw, you might want to add an RSS link so folks can follow you). We also have something else in common – I too opted for IMG travel insurance, and have been traveling “on the lam” for 3 years now (2+ yrs in Vietnam and Thailand, and now tucked in to a mountain top high in the Andes in Cuenca, Ecuador.)

You’ve done some traveling! We wish we’d started our adventure earlier but still are so happy to be doing this now. I’m looking forward to reading your archives and maybe our paths will cross in Ecuador…

That coral swimming pool looks divine! I’ve spent a lot of time on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica but we have friends in Limon so I’m really interested in hearing about your experiences in Cahuita and other spots on the Caribbean coast. I’d love to make it there one day.

The Caribbean coast of both Nicaragua and Costa Rica are less populated, less developed and have a distinctly Caribbean “vibe” going for them when compared to the Pacific coast. They also tend to be more humid and hotter which may be why less people visit that side but we seem to gravitate to areas that are less “discovered” and you might enjoy it,too!

Costa Rica really does have a special feeling to it. I think it has to do with the fact that the country boasts the highest literacy rate in Central America, and among the highest in the world at roughly 98%. I can’t wait to go back!

Education and literacy are definitely important factors in the country’s economic prosperity as is the fact that the country has no army, navy, air force. etc. Costa Rica has chosen to invest in its people rather than the military…

You are so right! It really was tranquil and the gardens were gorgeous. To make it all that much better we really enjoyed our hosts who worked hard to make sure we had everything we needed and also provided terrific conversations,

Thanks for the FYI on Bloomberg News. We’ll have to check it out – sounds like they read our minds!
The contact info for El Jardin Glorioso is Edward Baca at aguafria@taosnet.com. The place really is paradise but may be a bit too remote for a city girl like you and taxis are few and far between. That said, the area is truly beautiful!
Have a great Memorial weekend and either enjoy the festivities or try to avoid all the people from NYC who are trying to get away!